Gate-controlling apparatus.



E. W. VEST.

GATE CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1909.

Patented July 26, 1910.

2 SHEETS-GREEK 1.

1": NORRIS PETERS ca, WISHINGTON, o. c

Patented July 26, 1910.

2 sums-sum 3.

THE nuRms PETERS co., WASHINGTON, a c.

' STATES EUGENE W. VEST, OF SEATTLE, \VASI'IINGTON.

GATE-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Application filed July 6, 1909. Serial No. 506,236.

.To all whom it may Concern:

.Be it known that I, EUGENE WV. VEST, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of l/Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The primary aim of the present invention is to provide an efiicient gate lifting and two-Way swinging mechanism.

A. second object is the provision of effective means for securing the gate in closed or open positions.

Further objects and advantages will be set forth as the description progresses, and those features on which I desire protection defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout: Figure 1 is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of my improved gate mechanism with the gate lifted in closed position, and indicates by dotted lines the position ofthe parts before the lifting operation. Fig. 2 -is a side elevation with the gate partly swung. Fig. 3 is a plan with the gate open, and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4l1 of Fig. 3.

In conjunction with a standard or post 1 I provide a lifting mechanism comprising a vertically movable shifter conveniently in the form of a spanner 2 freely embracing said standard and having an arm portion fulcrumed on a bracket 3 and connected with a weight box 4:.

The gate 5 as shown is secured to hangers 50a11d 51 having eye portions fitting on standard 1 for vertical adjustment and horizontal swinging movements with the furcations of spanner 2 underlying hanger 50. These hangers are preferably provided with anti-friction bearing devices as concaved ro-llers50 and 51 mounted thereon at opposite sides of standard 1 for rolling engagement therewith as the gate is adjusted vertically.

Mounted on a bracket 11 of standard 1 is a rotary adjuster 6 in the form of a drum provided with an eccentrically disposed pin ('30 engaged with a rod 61 having a slot 61 through which passes a pin 62 seated in arms 62 secured to box 4:, whereby shifter 2 is operated to elevate the gate as will be later understood.

Reference numerals 54 and 55 designate.

sustaining members secured respectively to gate 5 and to the fence post 14: for engagement one with another when the gate is lowered. The members 55, as will be observed are formed with upwardly diverging arms bet-ween which the companion members 55 are normally seated, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thereby sustained to hold the gate from sagging.

For swinging the gate to open position I provide a two-way clutch device comprising a driving member 20 in the form of a bevel gear rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 12 secured to bracket 11, and a driven member 21 likewise mounted on said shaft and having opposite shoulders 22 extending into the path of a clutch pin 23 of member 20. .:\s sociated with this clutch device is an intermediate. return comprising a gravity catch arm 24: pivotally mounted as at on member 21 and normally resting clear of pin 23 on a trip lug 26 secured to bracket 11. Member 21 is conveniently connected with gate 5 by means of a depending shifter arm 27 having opposite extensions embracing hanger 51, while member 20 is connected with adjuster 6 through the medium of pinions 2S and 29 which are secured to a shaft 30 mounted on bracket 11 and mesh respectively with member 20 and with a gear 6 secured to said adjuster. This gearing is suitably proportioned to drive member 20 onehalf a revolution to one revolution of adjuster 6, consequently when the adjuster is rotated in either direction clutch pin 23 will be carried into engagement with one or the other of the shoulders 22 as the crank pin travels from its upper or normal position to its extreme lower position. Such movementof the crank pin operates shifter 2 to elevate the gate to the position shown in Fig. 1, when further rotation of the adj uster in the same direction effects, through the medium of pin 23, rotation of member 21 which carries catch arm 24 clear of lug 26 and swings the gate through the medium of arm 27. The slot 61 ofrod 61 allows the latter to move upwardly with the crank pin leaving the shifter 2 applied to hanger 50 by the weight in box a which is somewhat less than that of the gate and attached parts so that the gate may come to a lowered position by gravity. It is desirable however that the gate be retained in elevated position during swinging movements to clear it of possible obstruction, such outer end portion of each track 52 is suitably inclined to permit rider 53 to travel downwardly during final swinging movement of the gate whose weight, during such movement, overbalances shifter 2 and swings the same as crank pin (30 is completing its cycle. The gate therefore comes to a lowered position supported on the shifter with the rider 53 and hanger 51 lying opposed to the outer ends of the track sections to secure the'gate against swinging movement.

4 To close the gate, adjuster 6 is rotated in a reverse direction whereupon shifter 2 is first operated by the downward movement of rod 61 to elevate the gate, and clutch pin 23 subsequently engaged with arm 24: to swing shifter 27 with the gate and bring rider 53 over the adjacent track 52 as the crank pin passes beneath the axis of the adjuster. As the crank pin is completing its return movement arm 24: is brought into engagement with trip 26 and thereby disengaged from the clutch pin as rider 53 clears the adjacent track allowing the gate to overbalance the shifter 2 and come to a lowered position.

For operating adjuster 6 I have shown cables 7 and 8 wound about the same with their end portions engaged respectively with elevated guides '70 and 80 mounted adjacent theroad way at opposite sides of the gate. Secured to each of these cables are weights 9 and 10 in the form of handles normally lying one above the other, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Downward pull on either handle 9 serves to operate the adjuster to elevate the gate in closed position and swing the same, in the manner heretofore described, away from the operator. During such operation the handle 9 at the opposite side of the gate is lowered and the handles 10 elevated for operation of the adjuster to close the gate from either side as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is:

1. An apparatus of the type set forth comprising means for supporting a gate for swinging movement, and a two-way connecting device and intermediate releasable return mechanism associated therewith for effecting swinging movement of the gate.

2. An apparatus of the type set forth comprising means for supporting a gate for swinging movement, rotatably mounted driving and driven members, means arranged to effect connection of said members for simultaneous movement upon partial rotation of the driving member, releasable means for connecting said members for return movement, means connected with said driven member for swinging the gate, and means for operating said driving member in opposite directlons.

3. An apparatus of the type set forth comprising means for supporting a gate for swinging movement, rotatably mounted driving and driven members, means arranged to effect connection of said members for simultaneous movement upon partial rotation of said driving member in either direction, a catch means carried by said driven member for connecting the members for return movement, means connected with said last member for swinging the gate, and means for operating said catch means to disconnect said members.

4. An apparatus of the type set forth com- 7 prising a standard, means for supporting a gate for swinging movement on said standard, a rotatable member mounted on said standard provided with spaced parts, a second rotatable member having an engaging part movable therewith between the engaging parts of said first rotatable member, a catch mounted on said first member for engagement with the engaging part of said second member, a relatively fixed trip normally holding said catch in disengaged position, means connected with said first member for swinging the gate, and means for rotating said second member in opposite directions.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 30th day of June 1909.

EUGENE W. VEST. 

